Moving Garlic On

OK, second noob question this morning but I'm learnign as I'm goign along. A couple of weeks ago I planted cloves of garlic into 9cm pots. I know this was probably too late and won't yield as good a crop as if I had planted in winter but I didn't know, I assumes as they were selling it it could be planted. Now they've done well int he post so far and they have shoots on of between 3 and 4 inches and growing rapidly!

Shoul dI move them on now into the ground? And if so where should I put them? I'm not sure if they have any 'predators' I get a lot of birds in my garden, big ones, wood pigeons and pheasants will they pull them up? I can put them in my fruit cage with fruit bushes and shallots if that will be better.

I plant the garlic out as soon or as near to as soon as poss., after they're starting to sprout. I have some, in pots out in the green house right now, and as the weather is improving right now, I shall have to get them in the ground before it warms up too much. As for 'the right time',

It all depends on where you are in the country. I am up in Northumberland, and the growing season is much shorter that down south. Perhaps about 6 to 8 weeks behind, and shorter season accordingly. As this year has been all 'roots up' with the 6 month winter we've had, I really do not expect too much from the lotty at all ! This year will be relegated to a learning curve, lost seeds, failed compost and good exercise !

My daughter buys her garlic bulbs from the Isle of Wight Garlic farm which advocate two planting times, autumn and early Spring, it depends on the variety of garlic you plant as some are classified as soft neck and some as hard neck. They do not recommend starting garlic off under cover, just straight in the ground where they are going to grow. I am trying half of mine in the ground and half in large containers outside this year to see if that makes any difference to my crops as mine have never done as well as my daughter's. Both soft and hard necks are up and growing well. Garlic does not like excessive wet so my crop last year was paltry, fingers crossed it does better this year.

Hi I purchased bulbs that were sprouting on Tuesday and put them straight into the ground when I got home..... I know this may sound a silly question as its my first time growing them as well but how do you know when they are ready to harvest? I have been led to believe when I bought them that when the greenery has gone brown its time or that you can leave them for next year if the bulbs are not big, would love to know if this advice was correct? Pleased with myself that I have planted them in a sunny well drained border I covered them in rotted manure and is it true you occasionally water them with tea?

Garlic is a hardy plant and does not need to be nursed. It was eaten in hundreds of years ago by the poorer people in this country.

They are hungry plants so need a liquid feed every now and again. They are ready to harvest when, like onions the green leaf has died down.. Then they need to go in a cool dry place for a while but do not take the leaves off as they then die back and help the flavour of the bulbs.

You did the right thing Annie to put them straight in. They also need to be planted about 2ins deep, deeper than onions.

I'm doing an experiment with some in the greenhouse and some outside. A kind advisor on hear told me that they need a good blast of cold to split and become lots of little cloves. If they are too warm they just grow into a single big clove. I was a bit late putting them in but am hoping the recent chills will have forgiven my delay!

It has been said that for a good hoodwink of the garlic into thinking it's winter, pop them into the freezer for a few days. THIS will let them know who's boos, , and then , on a cold and miserable day, put them to ground , and watch , and wonder at the resiliance of this wonderful plant ! The Romans knew what they were doing !

I popped mine in the ground this afternoon. I have split them up, I have some in my fruit cage where the soil is good, loose and enriched with well rotted manure. I put the rest in the ground in the rest of the garden, but the clay there is quite tough and clay like so not sure how well the bulbs will form but if they're no good ill know for next year!